BT Vision

The basics

We're already huge fans of Sky+ HD, with Virgin's TiVo live and on demand TV service proving equally good when it comes to home entertainment. BT Vision is the latest service to enter the fray – join us after the break to find out whether it's as good as the competition.

The good

BT Vision is an on demand digital TV service, offering freeview TV stations, paid for services including Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2 and ESPN, and a host of other on demand TV channels and options.

You'll be able to record one channel while watching another with BT Vision, and the bundled Vision +Box is capable of recording up to 80 hours of programmes courtesy of a 160GB hard drive.

As with its rivals, the BT Vision service comes with a comprehensive EPG (Electronic Programming Guide), in this case offering details of programmes and channels for up to 14 days in the future. It's not as impressive as Virgin's TiVo offering, but it's still fairly decent.

One thing we do like about BT Vision is that you won't need an engineer to get going – simply sign up, wait for the box, and you're good to go.

BT Vision is at its best when it comes to on demand programmes that can be selected and downloaded over the internet. There's a decent selection, and it couldn't be easier to use.

The bad

BT Vision struggles to compete with Sky+ HD when it comes to the choice of live TV and high-definition channels. It may offer a great on demand service, but there simply aren't as many options for watching live TV, especially if you're not interested in channels like Sky Sports 1 or Sky Sports 2.

It also struggles when recording comes into the equation – you may be able to watch one channel while recording another, but Sky+ lets you record two channels simultaneously, with TiVo letting you record three channels simultaneously.

The bottom line

BT Vision may be easy to use, and makes sense if you're unable to install a satellite dish or already get lots of services through BT, but it's simply not as comprehensive as either Sky+ HD or Virgin TiVo. You'll find less channels to watch, and it just feels a bit weak in comparison.